Clevedon teenager Rory Stretch is making waves in the world of dinghy sailing - having been picked to train with the British national squad.

The 17-year-old honed his skills as a Clevedon Sailing Club cadet and currently competes in the 29er dinghy class - a  two-handed, 14-foot-long, high performance lightweight dinghy.

Now Rory, and fellow sailor Jake Rawes, have been picked to train with the national 29er winter squad.

They will attend training sessions and benefit from tuition from some of the country's best dinghy sailing coaches.

Rory, who hopes to compete in this summer's 29er European Championship in Poland, said: "It's a fabulous opportunity to learn from some of the best dinghy sailors around.

"Hopefully it will help us to become more competitive and improve our chances in the European championships."

Rory, a qualified RYA dinghy instructor, is currently studying A Levels at Clevedon School and is the 2023 Youth National Fireball Champion.

Their crowd-funding page can be found at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-us-reach-our-goal-of-european-championships

Jake won third place in the 2022 World Topper Championships. 

Clevedon Sailing Club vice-commodore Seamus Ryan said: "It's great to see one of our former cadets doing so well and we wish Rory all the best.

"Clevedon is a challenging place to sail but produces some great sailors."

Rory and Jake are raising funds to take them to Poland and are looking for local businesses to sponsor them.